Copmanthorpe Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Copmanthorpe Primary School Low Green, Copmanthorpe, York, North Yorkshire YO23 3SB

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Inspection dates: 26 to 27 September 2023

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Outcome

Copmanthorpe Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Copmanthorpe Primary School is caring and inclusive. Pupils are happy to come to school and feel safe here. Pupils say that in their school ‘everyone is welcome’ and ‘no one is left out’. The school celebrates diversity and difference through assemblies and attendance at events, such as York Pride. Bullying is not a problem. Pupils are confident that if it did happen, adults would sort it out quickly. Older pupils look after younger pupils through the school’s buddy system. The school has created ‘families’ of pupils. The families meet on different occasions throughout the year for an event, such as a picnic.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations for both behaviour and achievement. Most pupils behave and achieve well. There are some inconsistencies in the expectations staff have for behaviour. This results in a minority of pupils displaying off-task behaviour in lessons.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils value the many opportunities that are on offer to them in the wider curriculum. There is a wide range of sporting events that they can choose to take part in, such as archery and orienteering. Pupils are clear that everyone has equal access to these. Older pupils enjoy taking on roles and responsibilities such as becoming a play leader. Pupils talk enthusiastically about forest school sessions that take place in the school’s grounds.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school’s curriculum is carefully planned and ambitious for all pupils. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are particularly well supported to access the curriculum. Staff are highly trained in how to adapt teaching to meet pupils’ individual needs. Pupils with more complex needs access some of their learning in ‘the nest’. Here, skilled adults support them in a quiet, calm environment. The school uses visitors from a wide range of backgrounds to inspire pupils to be resilient in the face of adversity.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Curriculum plans for all subjects break learning into small steps. Leaders have identified key knowledge and important vocabulary that they want pupils to know and remember. In 26 and 27 September 2023

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the early years, adults are skilled at developing children’s language. As pupils get older, they are expected to use more complex, subject-specific vocabulary, such as ‘minuends’ and ‘subtrahends’ in mathematics. There is a whole-school approach to curriculum development. Subject leaders are clear about how their subject is taught from the early years through into key stage 1 and beyond. This means that pupils are well prepared for each stage of their education.

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Teachers regularly revisit prior learning in lessons. They check what pupils know and can remember. However, leaders are working to refine some of the assessment systems used in school, so that they align more closely with the key knowledge identified in curriculum plans.

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Reading is a priority for the school. The school promotes a positive reading culture using ‘reading challenges’. These significantly increase the amount of time that pupils spend reading at home. The books that staff read to pupils are carefully chosen to represent different authors, cultures and parts of the world. Leaders ensure that some of the books used in school reflect the school community. Many pupils show positive attitudes to reading. They particularly like the ‘book nooks’ in the playground where they can bring books from home to swap.

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Pupils begin to learn phonics from Reception. Where pupils are at risk of falling behind with phonics, targeted interventions help them to catch up. The books that pupils read generally match the sounds that they know. There are some instances where reading books are too difficult for pupils. Some elements of the teaching of phonics lack consistency. For example, the way pupils are currently taught to read words with more than one syllable is confusing. Adults sometimes miss opportunities to teach pupils correct pencil grip and letter formation. This results in pupils developing habits that are then hard to correct as they move through the school.

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The school provides pupils with a range of opportunities to develop their skills beyond the academic. Pupils who are part of the school council choose charities to support throughout the year. For example, the school has links with York Food Bank. Residential visits help pupils to develop their teamwork skills. Students from the local college visit the school and teach pupils how to sign using Makaton. In the early years, children enjoy positive relationships with adults. Adults encourage children to develop their independence. Children play cooperatively with each other and enjoy learning through play.

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The governing body supports the school effectively and fulfils its statutory duties well. Governors have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities. Staff appreciate the consideration given to their workload and well-being. They are proud to work at the school and there is a strong sense of collegiality.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 26 and 27 September 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 There are some inconsistencies in the way phonics is taught. Some teaching strategies are confusing for pupils and some opportunities to correct errors in pencil grip and letter formation are missed. This impacts on pupils’ spelling and handwriting as they move through the school. The school should ensure that there are consistent expectations in place for how phonics is taught and that all staff adhere to these expectations.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in April 2014.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 26 and 27 September 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website http://www.copmanthorpeprimary.co.uk

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School details

Date(s) of previous inspection 19 April 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Since the last inspection, the school has opened a nursery that has 30 places. Children can begin to attend from the day after their third birthday.  The school does not use any alternative providers.  In recent years, the school has seen a significant increase in the number of pupils with SEND. The school has created their own provision to cater for pupils with more complex needs.  The school provides before- and after-school childcare, which is managed by the governing body.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school's education provi- sion.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic 26 and 27 September 2023

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began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector held meetings with the headteacher, assistant headteachers, special educational needs and disabilities coordinator, subject leaders, the chair and other members of the governing body and the senior head of effectiveness and achievement from the local authority.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and art and design. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector considered how the school caters for pupils’ wider development.  Pupils’ behaviour in lessons and during breaktimes was observed.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector examined the single

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central record and looked at how safeguarding incidents are reported. The inspector spoke to leaders, staff, governors and pupils about the culture of safeguarding in the school.  The inspector considered the free-text comments made by parents in response to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, as part of the inspection. The inspector also spoke with some parents at the end of the school day.  Responses to the staff questionnaire were considered.

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Inspection team

Philippa Kermotschuk, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 26 and 27 September 2023

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regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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